The website of Children's Author, Jackie Yeager

December Book Blast: Day 22

I hope you’re not getting overwhelmed by the rush of the holiday season. To help you out with the young readers on your list, here’s my December Day 22 pick…

UNDER THE EGG by Laura Marx Fitzgerald!

From the publisher:

When Theodora Tenpenny’s grandfather passes away, the 13-year-old inherits $463, a decaying Greenwich Village townhouse and a mystery. Jack’s last words to his granddaughter are “look under the egg,” referring to his painting above the fireplace. With a bit of luck — and an overturned bottle of rubbing alcohol — Theo discovers a hidden painting beneath the surface. Unlike Jack’s signature abstracts, this painting depicts a Madonna and Child. Theo knows a thing or two about art, and recognizes a masterpiece when she sees one. She would be overjoyed at the windfall, if not for the fact that her grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Could he have stolen the painting?

From me:

This middle grade mystery looks like a great story. If there were more hours in the day, I’d have read this one already. But I’ll definitely get to it in the New Year. It’s got puzzles, inheritances, and art. How cool is that?